Re: [PATCH v2 0/3] nvdimm: Add an IOCTL pass thru for DSM calls

[Jerry Hoemann <jerry.hoemann@hpe.com>]

On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 11:00:20AM -0800, Dan Williams wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 10:38 AM, Jerry Hoemann <jerry.hoemann@hpe.com> wrote:
> >
> > The NVDIMM code in the kernel supports an IOCTL interface to user
> > space based upon the Intel Example DSM:
> >
> >         http://pmem.io/documents/NVDIMM_DSM_Interface_Example.pdf
> >
> > This interface cannot be used by other NVDIMM DSMs that support
> > incompatible functions.
> >
> > This patch set adds a generic "passthru" IOCTL interface which
> > is not tied to a particular DSM.
> >
> > A new _IOC_NR ND_CMD_PASSTHRU == "100" is added for the pass thru call.
> >
> > The new data structure nd_passthru_pkg serves as a wrapper for the passthru
> > calls.  This wrapper supplies the data that the kernel needs to
> > make the _DSM call.
> >
> > Unlike the definitions of the _DSM functions themselves, the nd_passthru_pkg
> > provides the calling information (input/output sizes) in an uniform
> > manner making the kernel marshaling of the arguments straight
> > forward.
> >
> > This shifts the marshaling burden from the kernel to the user
> > space application while still permitting the kernel to internally
> > call _DSM functions.
> >
> > To make the resultant kernel code easier to understand the existing
> > functions acpi_nfit_ctl and __nd_ioctl were renamed to .*_intel to
> > denote calling mechanism as in 4.3 tailored to the Intel Example DSM.
> > New functions acpi_nfit_ctl_passthru and __nd_ioctl_passthru were
> > created to supply the pass thru interface.
> 
> Let's not do the _intel vs _passthru split.  I want to convert the
> existing commands over to this new interface and deprecate the old
> ioctl-command formats.  I.e. it isn't the case that this will be a
> always be a blind "passthru" mechanism, the kernel will need to crack
> open this payload in some circumstances.


I'm confused.

In this version there is only 1 ioctl 'N'.  The pass thru is using
number 100.  This is what I thought you wanted from prior comments.

The split are for internal functions that deal specifically w/
the argument marshaling code and copy-in/copy-out.  These mechanisms
are different.

I understand that you want to switch over, but don't you (at least for
the time being) need to keep the old marshaling code for the current
use case?   I was assuming a sequence like:
	1. The pass thru code gets submitted.
	2. The current tools are converted over to using the pass thru,
	3. The marshaling code using nd_cmd_in_size etc., would then
		be removed.

Are you wanting to make one big change and not in separate steps?

Now I don't currently have provision for "snooping" out specific functions
in the pass thru flow. The 4.3 code doesn't do that either per se.  It
will do the calls asked of it from the user.

Snooping is a feature that could be added, but since I'm not sure your
plans here, the best I can do at the moment is to put in a hook to
a function that is a  no-op.  The meat of this function to be added
when plans become more firm.  Do you have more specific info here?



-- 

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Jerry Hoemann            Software Engineer      Hewlett-Packard Enterprise
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